JeNycEats

I absolutely love any type of “dumpling” (whether it’s a Chinese wonton, Spanish empanada, or a Polish pierogie). I just love simple comfort food. I remember trying pierogies for the first time when my boyfriend took me to this small Polish restaurant called “Polska” in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. My boyfriend is half polish and knows where the best pierogies are. I’ve always wanted to make pierogies because Polska has been closed for a while and I want to be able to eat pierogies whenever I’m in the mood. I also wanted to make them because I like to know what I’m eating and I know I don’t add preservatives or chemicals to my food. I’ve tweeked the recipe but the original recipe can be found here.

Pierogies

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Dough

2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi

1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces

butter and onions for sauteing

Filling

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup cottage cheese or cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

1/4 cup of milk

1. To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt.

2. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture.

3. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size.

Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling

1. Peel and boil 4-5 large potatoes until soft. Red potatoes are especially good for this.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop 1 large onion and saute in butter until soft and translucent.

3. Mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and 4-8oz of grated cheddar cheese OR cottage cheese (depending on how cheesy you want your pierogies), adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, chives, or other enhancements if you desire. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1″ balls.

Prepare the Pierogies
1. Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8″ thick. Cut circles of dough (2″ for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2″ for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

2. Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

3. Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream.

The pierogies came out great! It actually yield more than 12-15 pierogies (probably 30?). I added cottage cheese in most of the pierogies and in a few, I added cottage cheese and cheddar cheese. I really loved the pierogies with cottage cheese because it was just mild, very smooth and flavorful. The pierogies with cottage cheese and cheddar cheese was good too but I liked just the cottage cheese better. I love the caramelized onions and it wouldn’t be the same without sour cream. I made so much, I had leftover pierogies, so I just froze them and will surprise my boyfriend with them!